Friday, September 11, 2015

The Sea Keeper's Daughters

Happy Friday! It is cookie baking day in my house (I keep forgetting to make them). My mother enjoys her chocolate chip cookies! I am doing some housework while the cookies bake (sweeping, dusting, laundry). What are you doing today? I hope it is something fun!I just finished reading The Sea Keeper’s Daughters by Lisa Wingate. Whitney Monroe
is co-owner of La Tazza restaurant. She
recently purchased an old mill (and did not research the town prior to
purchase) to open a second location.
Unfortunately, Tagg Harper and his cronies are doing everything in his
power to stop her from opening the new restaurant (he has the local people in
his back pockets). Whitney and her
partner, Denise are about to lose everything they have worked for over the last
few years. Whitney refuses to back off
from the new location.

When her mother passed away,
Whitney inherited The Excelsior hotel in Manteo (which is in the Outer Banks of
North Carolina). Her step-father, Clyde
Franczyk has the right to live in the hotel until his death, and he is firmly
entrenched on the third floor (he is cranky).
Whitney received a call that Clyde is ill and had to go to the
hospital. Whitney is hoping to find
something of value in the hotel to sell to help her keep her restaurants
(search while he is away).

Whitney finds old letters
addressed to her grandmother, Ziltha Ruby Benoit from her twin sister, Alice
Loring. Whitney did not know her
grandmother had a twin sister. Alice was
a part of the Federal Writers Project regarding stories of people and their
histories. Whitney finds the letters
fascinating. Clyde, who has returned
from the hospital, also gets involved in the project (the letters are in pieces). While looking in an old captain’s desk, she
discovers some beautiful jewelry and scrimshaw.
Can they help her save the hotel?
But, at the same time, Whitney will be sacrificing her family history. Mark Strahan owns The Rip Shack which is
housed on the first floor of Whitney’s building. Mark does not Whitney to sell the building to
the developer, Casey Turner. Mr. Turner
will demolish the beautiful and historical building. Mark would also like to start a special youth
program on the second floor of the hotel.
Can Whitney find a way to save her restaurants while keeping the
building and preserving her family history?
What did Alice Loring discover during her travels?

I found The Sea Keeper’s Daughters to a very long book. I really
enjoyed the history part of the book (it was fascinating). I found Whitney to be stubborn, frustrating,
and ridiculous (who hangs on to a restaurant when it will bankrupt you and your
family). I was so glad when I finished
this book. There are pages of Whitney’s
rambling thoughts (you can really just skip over these pages as they do not
enhance the book in any way). What
Whitney uncovered about her family history was expected, but I found it (the
actual history) fascinating. I give The Sea Keeper’s Daughters 3 out of 5 stars.
I think this book just needed more polish.

Review Policy

If you would like me to read and review your book, please contact me at Doodlesink@hotmail.com. I enjoy mysteries, paranormal, Christian fiction, and contemporary books. My reviews will be honest and are not influenced by receiving a book for free.